Розглянуто проблему виокремлення етапів і періодів у процесі пізнання природи України; виділено і обґрунтовано 3 етапи і 6 періодів: етап початкового пізнання природи (40 – 35 тис. років тому – ІV ст. до н. е.); етап опису природи
(V ст. до н. е. – середина ХVІІ ст.) розділений на три періоди: античний (V ст.
до н. е. – середина І тис. н. е.); літописний (кінець І тис. н. е. – ХІІ ст.); опису
природи переважно західноєвропейцями (ХІХ – ХVІІІ ст.). Розгортання наприкінці
ХVІІІ ст. експедиційних та індивідуальних досліджень природи України – то паростки нового етапу в розвитку природничої географії і природничих досліджень. Етап наукових пошуків (ХІХ – початок ХХІ ст.) буде детальніше розглянутий
у наступній статті. Розгортання наприкінці ХVІІІ ст. експедиційних та індивідуальних досліджень природи України – то паростки нового етапу в розвитку природничої географії і природничих досліджень.
The problem of distinguishing stages and periods in the process of knowledge of
the nature of Ukraine was considered. The history of the development of natural sciences
does not always coincide with the history of Ukraine’s development. Therefore,
use the names of historical stages (ancient, medieval, new and new) in the process
of knowing the history of the development of natural sciences unreasonably. Available
literature and cartographic material and Internet resources give an opportunity in the
process of knowledge of the nature of Ukraine to allocate 3 stages and 6 periods: the
stage of initial knowledge of nature (40 - 35 thousand years ago - IV century BC); the
stage of the description of nature (V in. BC - the middle of the XVII century) is divided
into three periods: the ancient (V century BC - middle I millennium BC); annalistic (end of
the 1st millennium BC - XII century); description of nature is mostly Western Europeans
(XIX - XVIII centuries). The phase of scientific research (XIX - early XXI century.) Will
be discussed in more detail in the next article. It is noted that at the end of the second
stage, along with the descriptions of nature, elements of scientific research and exploration
emerged as a result of which were the academic expeditions of 1768-1774 and
the investigations of individual scientists: Academician of the St. Petersburg Academy
of Sciences I. Guldenstedt describes the outputs of the crystalline rocks of the south of
the Ukrainian shield (“crystalline strip” ), soil and vegetation; Academician of the same
Academy V. Zuev gives a general description of the nature of the Middle Dnieper, the
south of Pridneprovskaya Upland, for the first time (1782) describes glandular quartzites
(“gland slate”) on the banks of the Ingults; “Father” of Polish geology and geography
Stanislav Stashits at the end of the eighteenth century. conducted fruitful studies of the
nature of Western Ukraine. It is concluded that the originality and scientific value of written, cartographic and
other sources of the narrative stage consists not only in their originality and historicism,
but also in the fact that they are written and published, except for the Ukrainian, representatives
of almost all European countries, partly the Middle East and Middle Asia
Ukraine and its nature knew the world around. Apparently, this can be explained by the
absence of a coincidence in the course of historical development of Ukraine with the
level of its descriptions in different periods: the non-signified Scythian Ukraine was described
by the ancient authors, and the disparate medieval - Western-European. From
Herodotus through the chronicles to Boplan - a general summary of descriptive stage.
Deployment at the end of the ХVІІІ century. expeditionary and individual studies of the
nature of Ukraine are the seeds of a new stage in the development of natural geography and natural sciences.
